More food trucks will likely soon be on Toronto’s streets following a council vote Thursday night.
In a 34-3 decision, councillors voted in favour of new regulations aimed at loosing restrictions for street food vendors in the city.
Under the new rules, food trucks will be allowed to set up in a pay-and-display parking spot for up to three hours. Trucks can only operate for three hours in a 24-hour period, however, and only two trucks can operate on the same block at the same time.
Additionally, trucks must keep at least 50 metres away from a licensed restaurant that is open and operating. The condition does not apply when a food truck is parked on private property or in one of 58 licensed parking lots, however.
While the new program is not perfect, it’s an improvement, according to one local vendor.
“It’s better than it was,” food truck operator Zane Caplansky said of the new program. “It’s progress, it’s a step forward, and I think it’s something that we can look at as baby steps, but not certainly the victory we wanted.”
The city will issue 125 permits this year to vendors, including the 27 food trucks already operating.
The rules are set go into effect May 15.
